Traffic Engineering Extended

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Vehicles cross the one-way open road to Cikampek at the Kalikangkung Toll Gate, Semarang City, Central Java, Thursday (27/4/2023). The one-way enforcement is implemented on the toll road from Kalikangkung to Cikampek to anticipate traffic congestion when returning travelers.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The flow of travelers returning from Idul Fitri holiday is expected to continue over the next five days with 892,000, around 56 percent of the estimated 1.6 million, vehicles having yet to make their way back to Greater Jakarta as of Thursday (27/4/2023) 8 a.m. The implementation of traffic engineering through one-way and contraflow traffic systems has also been extended on the trans-Java toll road.

"We are monitoring the movement of travelers, especially in the last five days. A surge [in the number of travelers] is estimated to occur during the second wave of backflow on Sunday (30/4/2023) and Monday (1/5/2023)," Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said while inspecting traffic from the Cikampek toll gate at Kilometer 70 in Karawang, West Java, on Thursday (27/4/2023).

Based on the information released by toll road operator Jasa Marga, more than half the estimated 1.6 million vehicles had yet to return to Greater Jakarta as of Thursday at 8 a.m.

Also read:

> 70 Percent of Vehicles Yet to Return

> The Wave of ‘Mudik’ Return Traffic has not Ended

To avoid traffic congestion on the trans-Java toll road, the National Police have extended the one-way traffic system in place from the Kalikangkung toll gate on Km 414 to Km 72, effective until Friday (28/4/2023) from 8 a.m. to midnight. Contraflow lanes have also been opened on the Cikampek toll road from Km 72 to Km 47 (West Karawang).

The odd-even system is also being implemented from Km 414 to Km 47 (West Karawang) in effect until Friday from 8 a.m. to midnight. "The odd-even system is implemented as part of traffic engineering to deal with the density of vehicles passing on the trans-Java toll road," National Police traffic chief Insp. Gen. Firman Santyabudi.

"We see [traffic engineering] is effective,” he said, adding that not being stuck in traffic left travelers with relatively in good physical and mental vigilance.

ADRYAN YOGA PARAMADWYA

A father invites his son to play while waiting in line to enter the ferry at Bakauheni Harbor, Lampung, Tuesday (25/4/2023). Based on data from the Bakauheni Command Post for the period 24 to 25 April 2023 at 08.00, a total of 88,758 people had crossed from Bakauheni Port in Lampung to Merak Port in Banten.

Jasa Marga, in cooperation with toll road business entities, is providing a 20 percent fare discount for trans-Java toll road users, effective from Thursday (27/4/2023) at 6 a.m. to Saturday (29/4/2023) at 6 a.m. Fare discount applies to class II, III, IV and V vehicles.

Meanwhile, ferry authorities have informed that the first wave of returning travelers crossing from Sumatra to Java via the Bakauheni-Merak ferry services amounted 323,865 passengers, or 35.2 percent of the estimated total number, with 73,326 vehicle units (34.4 percent).

Traffic accidents

Based on data from the police traffic unit, there were 1,457 accidents with 189 deaths during the 17-23 April period. Most cases were in East Java with 488 incidents and 25 deaths, followed by Central Java with 320 accidents and 22 deaths and West Java with 99 accidents and 33 deaths.

Referring to the extended data from the East Java Police, during the 17-24 period there were 626 accidents with 30 deaths. The figures show an increase by 10.5 percent in the number of accidents but a decrease in fatality for the same period last year, when there were 560 accidents and 42 deaths.

"We have been trying very hard to suppress accidents," East Java Police traffic director Snr. Comr. Muhammad Taslim Chairuddin said, adding that they had deployed a 19,200 joint force of police, military and state apparatus officers in the Idul Fitri operation.

Also read:

> Authorities Braced for Second Wave of ‘Mudik’ Return Traffic

> Mobility During This Year’s Mudik Has Only Reached 50 Percent

He said traffic accidents could be suppressed by up to 17 percent in East Java, where 751 accidents had occurred eight days before the operation began.

In West Nusa Tenggara, Lombok Airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I reported busier flights in the wake of Idul Fitri holiday with increasing number of passengers, and load of cargo.

PT Angkasa Pura I general manager Rahmat Adil Indrawan said on Wednesday as many as 7,763 people departed from Lombok Airport.

(Z14/Z04)

This article was translated by Musthofid.